Wandering Mind
by Matt Morwell
Summary: [Y-?] One-shot. Yugi's working at the Turtle Game Shop on a drab, rainy day; bored out of his mind, his thoughts turn to a friend. But is she just a friend?


_Wandering Mind_

_by Matt Morwell_

  


_A/N: Insert usual disclaimer here (I don't own the material on which this fic is based, though I wish I did). Tiny one-shot of Yugi during a rainy day. Bored out of his mind, his thoughts turn to a friend. Or at least, that's what he thinks. And he's not talking to Yami, he's simply talking to himself. Himself = Yugi. You get it, right? Enjoy._

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Here I sit. On a stool. Behind a counter. In a shop.

Waiting.

For what?

Customers, I guess.

It's raining outside. It's been raining since last night. Not too many people want to come all this way to buy a few card packs, only to get soaked. They don't see the point.

I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to, either. In fact, if it were my choice, I wouldn't even be in here right now.

I'd be somewhere else entirely.

Unfortunately, Grandpa's making me work. He wants me to eventually take over the shop, I think. Something to pass down to his grandson.

It's nice of him. The shop makes a lot of money. But right now, it makes no difference to me, really. I'm just a sophomore in high school; what do I know about business management?

A car turns on the rain-soaked road in front of the shop. Maybe it's a customer? Someone who decided to bother?

...No, they're using the pavement in front of the shop as the first point of a three-point U-turn.

Bleh. They wouldn't bother. No one does. Not on rainy days.

Well...

One person might.

No. No, that's wishful thinking. Stop that, Yugi. Think about something else.

...I can't.

Damn.

She's a friend. And she's just that. A friend.

So why does my heart start beating faster when I see her walking down the hall at school?

Why do I feel myself turning red at the sight of her smile?

Why do I sweat at the smell of her perfume?

I smack myself in the forehead. God, what am I thinking? She's a friend! A _friend_!

But she's also a pretty friend.

A _good_ friend!

...A beautiful friend.

A _loyal_ friend!

...A sweet friend.

_A friend!!_

...A crush.

I roll my eyes in disgust at myself and drum my fingertips impatiently on the counter. My eyes flit to the clock.

Fifteen seconds have passed since the car passed by.

_Fifteen seconds!_

I shift around on the stool. If Grandpa had any sense, he'd buy some sort of padding for it. There's no point in suffering on the hard wood. My rear end complains every few seconds or so.

And my heart whines... wanting to hear the sound of her voice.

Darnit, Yugi! Would you stop thinking about her already! That's not going to do you any good! You drool at the sight of her, admit it!

...Yeah, I do.

You like her!

...Yeah, I do.

You let her image torture your mind night and day!

...Yeah, I do.

You dream about her!

...Yeah, I do.

You're in love with her!

What?! Where did you hear _that_? Who told you that?!

It's true, isn't it?

Of course not! She's a friend! She's got her own interests, her own dreams, and I'm here to support her!

Give it a rest. It's true.

It isn't.

It is.

No, it's not!

Why are you denying so vehemently, anyway? Have you got something to hide?

Why would I hide anything from myself?

I don't know. You tell me.

I've got no reason to hide anything from you!

Because you're me and I'm you and it all works out nice and easy that way, huh?

You know, if you were Yami, I wouldn't be so mad about it.

But I'm not Yami, I'm you, and I'm telling you what you refuse to tell me... you're in love with her.

Don't.

You're in love with her.

I'm not.

Come on, Yugi, admit it.

No.

Why not?

Because it's not true. Now give it up.

You want to hold her.

Stop.

You want to kiss her.

Stop!

Yugi, it's okay to admit it! I'm the only one here! Yami can't hear you, much less Grandpa. I won't tell anyone, you know I won't! That would kill you! I don't want you to be hurt, I just want to hear you say it!

I _can't_!

_Why?!_

Because I don't want to, damn you!

You've gone from saying it isn't true to saying you don't want to say it.

I don't want to say it _because_ it's not true. Leave me alone.

Doesn't work that way. You can't leave yourself alone, so how do you think I could?

Just go away!

_You love her!_

Please, stop! You're hurting me!

I'm the only one here! I'm the only one who'll hear you! It's okay to admit it!

Why do you want to hear it so badly?! What use are the words to you?

I just want you to admit it!

It's not true!

You know better than that, Yugi. Just say it!

No!

Say it to me!

_No!_

The bell on the door chimes, and I glance up at the person causing it. She's wearing a yellow rain slicker, giving her the appearance of a soaking wet banana peel. Curiously enough, she has no protection for her head. The rain has soaked her brown hair, and gravity has slicked it back. Her face is shining with the water adorning it, and her eyes have such a spark in them.

She smiles her dazzling smile at me, and immediately my heart begins to melt. "Hi, Yugi!"

I can already feel it, the slight blush from just _looking_ at her, and I know it's not right, she's my friend and always will be, and she'd nice but she'd never go for someone like me, she's got other things to worry about...

Ha! I knew it!

...You knew it all along.

You still haven't said it.

Do I really need to?

Yes.

The presence of the fact alone isn't enough? You need to hear it?

Well, to know it, _she'd_ need to hear it, don't you think?

She doesn't think of me the same way! I'd never tell her!

That's not the point. I just want to hear it.

"Yugi?" She cocks her head at me; maybe she sees me blushing, or maybe it's something in my expression. Maybe she can see my inner turmoil. "Yugi? Is something wrong?"

...

Just say it.

...

Yugi?

...

Yugi, answer me.

...

Answer me... please?

...

Yugi?

...

"No, no, nothing's wrong." I try to smile up at her. "Just happy to see you. And surprised. What're you doing walking out in the middle of the rain, anyway? It's got to be freezing out there."

She nods. "It is, but Joey thought you could use some company. He said your grandpa was making you work today, and it sounded to me like a pretty boring job, just sitting here... especially in the rain. So I decided to come and see you." She smiles again.

I try not to duck my head in embarrassment. "You didn't have to do that!"

"Maybe not," she said, her smile broadening. "But I wanted to."

Yugi? Please, talk to me...

...

Yugi, I'm sorry... please, just say something...

...

I'm sorry...!

...

"Thanks. I could use the company."

...She'll never know.

But I...

I...

  


[End]

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_Please review._


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